Modular tent

ABSTRACT

The modular tent is constituted by:  
     a) a central tent including a frame and a canvas stretched over said frame, said tent having at least one opening formed in a vertical plane; and  
     b) at least one add-on element connected by fastener means to the central tent at said opening.  
     In the invention, the opening and the add-on element have a vertical axis of symmetry and the fastener means consist of first and second means ( 13, 19  and  14, 21 ) suitable for co-operating with each another, and disposed on the edge of the opening of the central tent and on the corresponding edge of the add-on element, the fastener means being arranged on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry so that the first means ( 13, 19 ) are on the same (right or left) side ( 11, 18 ) of the opening and of the add-on element, while the second means ( 14, 21 ) are on the other (left or right) side ( 12, 20 ).

[0001] The present invention relates to a tent constituted by a frame and by a canvas stretched over said frame and which is “modular” insofar as it is constituted by at least one central core tent and by one or more add-on tent elements connected to the opening or openings of said central tent.

[0002] Such a modular tent is known from document FR 2 649 744. In that document the central core tent includes a central frame that is symmetrical about a vertical axis, having a base that constitutes a regular polygon with an even number of sides, and that is formed by at least two identical diametrically-extending arcuate tent-poles or “bows” having bottom ends that bear on the ground at diametrically opposite vertices of the base polygon and that cross in their middles at the top of said central frame on the vertical axis of symmetry. In addition, the frame includes at least four vertical side bows each having two bottom ends that bear on the ground at two respective vertices of the base polygon. Thus, each side bow is contained in a vertical plane containing one of the sides of the base polygon. In addition to the central core tent, that document describes at least two side tents of the tunnel type which extend outwards from side bows of the central frame.

[0003] Document FR 2 649 744 mentions the possibility of designing numerous variant embodiments of the modular tent, in particular with the side tents connected to other side tents of the same type or to other tents of the central core type. It is thus possible to obtain a meshed network having nodes that are constituted by the central tents and having connection elements that are constituted by the side tents. It is also possible to group together several central tents and to interconnect them along their side bows so as to increase the extent of the central zone of the tent. Finally, it is possible to connect a canvas to one or more side bows of the central tent only, said canvas extending to the ground and forming a canopy-type extension.

[0004] In the text of that document, no indication is given as to the means which are used to make all the above-mentioned connections. It is assumed that the means used are those which are conventionally implemented in tents, in particular slideway fasteners (zippers) and self-gripping fasteners having hooks and loops (known under the trademark “VELCRO”).

[0005] In the case of a slideway fastener, when it is desired to connect two tent portions together, a first slideway, e.g. a slideway plus a slider, is provided on one of the edges of the first tent portion, and a second slideway without a slider, is provided on the edge of the second tent portion. The user brings the edges that are to be connected together into register so that the end of the second slideway can be inserted into the slider, and said slider can then be moved by the user along the two slideways so that the respective teeth of the two slideways interfit and the two tent portions thus become joined together.

[0006] Substantially the same construction is used for a fastener comprising a self-gripping system having hooks and loops: a first strip having hooks is provided on the edge of the first tent portion, and a second strip having loops is provided on the edge of the second tent portion. It suffices for the user to bring said two strips into register and to press them together so that the hooks hook onto the loops, thereby joining the two tent portions together along said edges.

[0007] Transposing such conventional means to a modular tent of the kind disclosed in document FR 2 649 744 suffers from a major drawback. If, for example, the opening of the central core tent is fitted with a slideway plus a slider, then it is necessary for the opening of the side tent or more generally of the other element for connection thereto, itself to be fitted with a slideway without a slider. This is not impossible technically, but it requires the fasteners of the central core tent and of any other add-on element that is to be connected thereto to be made in specific different manners.

[0008] The Applicant proposes a modular tent which mitigates the above-mentioned drawback by means of a particular disposition of the fastener means.

[0009] In a manner known from document FR 2 649 744, this tent comprises a modular tent constituted by:

[0010] a) a central tent including a frame and a canvas stretched over said frame, said tent having at least one opening formed in a vertical plane; and

[0011] b) at least one add-on element connected by fastener means to the central tent at said opening.

[0012] In a manner characteristic of the invention the opening and the add-on element have a vertical axis of symmetry, and the fastener means consist of first and second means suitable for co-operating with each another, and disposed on the edge of the opening of the central tent and on the corresponding edge of the add-on element, the fastener means being arranged on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry so that the first means are on the same (right or left) side of the opening and of the add-on element, while the second means are on the other (left or right) side.

[0013] The axis of symmetry is referred to as “vertical” both for the opening and for the add-on element due to the fact that it is situated in a substantially vertical plane when the tent is pitched on ground that is taken as defining a horizontal plane.

[0014] Naturally the right- or left-hand side in question is determined in the same way both for the central tent and for the add-on element: the right-hand side is the side which is situated to the right of the axis of symmetry as seen before making the connection by an outside user looking at either one of the portions of canvas that are to be connected together, whether corresponding to the central tent or to the add-on element.

[0015] When connecting the add-on element to the central tent, said add-on element is positioned facing the opening of the central tent, the two vertical axes of symmetry being in the same plane. In this configuration, the first fastener means of the central tent are situated facing the second means of the add-on element on one side of the vertical plane while the second means of the central tent are situated facing the first means of the add-on element on the other side of the vertical plane. It is thus possible for the first and second means on each of the two sides to co-operate mutually on either side of the vertical plane in order to obtain the desired connection.

[0016] It is thus possible to make all the types of connection envisaged in document FR 2 649 744 without it being necessary to personalize the manufacture of the central tent and of the add-on tent elements.

[0017] In a first variant embodiment, the fastener means are of the slideway type, the first means being a slideway without a slider and the second means being a slideway plus a slider.

[0018] In a second variant embodiment the fastener means are of the self-gripping type having loops and hooks, the first means being a strip provided with hooks and the second means being a strip provided with loops.

[0019] As in document FR 2 649 744, the frame of the tent is preferably constituted by flexible bows which tension the canvas. The opening of the central tent is advantageously in the shape of an isosceles triangle, the top vertex of said triangle being formed by the free end of a bow. In this case, the disposition of the fastener means in two distinct strips, independently actuatable by the user, is further justified by the fact that the angle at the vertex creates a discontinuity at the center of the opening.

[0020] In a first preferred embodiment, the central tent has a triangular base, with three triangular openings and three bows; and each bow tensions the tent between the top vertex of one opening and the adjoining bottom vertices of the other two openings.

[0021] In a second preferred embodiment, the central tent has a square base, with four triangular openings and four bows, two of larger dimension and two of smaller dimension. The two bows of larger dimension tension the canvas between the bottom vertices of the openings at the four corners of the square. The bows of smaller dimension tension the canvas between the top vertices of opposite openings.

[0022] The tent preferably includes a covering piece fixed on the canvas, suitable for overlying the intermediate zone on either side of the axis DD′ between the first and second fastener means.

[0023] The present invention will be better understood on reading the description given with reference to two preferred embodiments and illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

[0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a central tent that is triangular and also has three triangular openings;

[0025]FIG. 2 is a plane view from above of FIG. 1.

[0026]FIG. 3 shows the central tent of FIG. 1 being connected to a panel forming an upright door.

[0027]FIGS. 4 and 5 show how a connection is made, respectively with two slideway fastener strips (FIG. 4) and with two self-gripping fastener strips (FIG. 5).

[0028]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of a connection comprising slideway fastener strips as shown in FIG. 4; and

[0029]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an assembled triangular tent having two side openings, each fitted with a sunshade.

[0030] The modular tent of the present invention has the characteristic that the add-on tent elements, such as an upright door or a sloping door, a sunshade, or a tunnel, can be added or connected to a central tent without having to handle the fastener means in distinct manners, specifically because of the way said fastener means are disposed.

[0031] In the example shown, the central tent 1 has a triangular base 2. It includes a canvas 3 which is stretched by three bows 4, 5, 6, which delimit three side openings 7, 8, 9. The side openings are in respective vertical planes which correspond to the three sides of the triangular base 2. As can be seen clearly from FIGS. 1 and 2, each bow 4 has one end 4 a which rests on the ground at a vertex of the triangular base, while its other end 4 b corresponds to the top vertex 10 of the opening 9 which is opposite from said bottom vertex. The length and positioning of each bow 4, 5, 6 are determined so that each opening, delimited by the sloping edges 11, 12 of the tent canvas, is in a vertical plane containing a side of the base 2 and includes an axis of symmetry DD′ passing through the top vertex 10.

[0032]FIG. 3 shows an add-on element being connected onto the central triangular tent 1, said add-on element being of the simplest possible structure since it is an upright door formed by a triangular panel having the same configuration as the corresponding side opening.

[0033] In the invention, connection is obtained by means of four independent strips of fastener means which are fixed respectively along the two sloping edges 11, 12 of the opening 8 of the central tent 1 and along the two sloping edges of the panel 16 forming the door 17.

[0034] In the example shown in FIG. 4, a slideway 13 without a slider is fixed along the first edge 11 of the central tent 1, on the left-hand side of the axis of symmetry DD′ when looking at the tent 1 from the outside, while a slideway 14 with a slider 15 is fixed along the other edge 12, on the right-hand side of the axis DD′.

[0035] Exactly the same fixing principle applies to the triangular panel 16 forming the upright door 17, knowing that the right- and left-hand sides mean as seen when looking at the panel from outside the panel, i.e. by an observer positioned between said panel and the central tent. A slideway portion 19 without a slider is fixed along the edge 18, situated on the left-hand side of the axis DD′, while a slideway portion 21 with a slider 22 is fixed along the other side 20, situated on the right-hand side.

[0036] To make a connection, the two sliders 15, 22 are preferably in the immediate vicinity of the axis DD′, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. It suffices for the user to insert the end 19 a of the slideway 19 of the panel 16 into the facing slider 15 secured to the central tent 1. It is thus possible to close half of the door 17 from top to bottom by moving only the slider 15. The door 17 is closed completely by moving the second slider 22 which is secured to the panel 16.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 7, a covering piece is preferably provided on top of the canvas 2, in particular by sewing, said piece being intended to overlie the intermediate zone 23 on either side of the axis of symmetry DD′ between the four slideway strips, which zone could constitute a source for leaks in the event of rain.

[0038]FIG. 5 shows a variant embodiment in which the slideway fastener strips are replaced by self-gripping strips of a mechanical fastener system of the type having hooks and loops. The slideways without a slider are replaced by strips 24 provided with hooks 25, while the slideways plus a slider are replaced by strips 26 provided with loops 27. Connection is obtained simply by pressing the loops onto the hooks in such a manner that the hooks hook onto the loops, as is well known in “VELCRO” fasteners.

[0039] In the example in FIG. 3, the add-on element is an upright door. In the invention, it is possible to connect on any tent element, e.g. a sloping door projecting as a canopy from the triangular base 2 of the central tent. As shown in FIG. 7, this can apply to two adjacent central tents 27, 28, connected together along two facing triangular side openings. In FIG. 7, two sunshades 30 are also shown connected onto two adjacent side openings of the two main tents 27, 28.

[0040] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above by way of non-limiting example. In particular, any tent configuration having a triangular base or a polygonal base, and in particular a square base, can be envisaged. In addition, the openings can have different configurations. When the opening is tensioned by a free end of one or more bows, the opening can have a triangular configuration as in the above-mentioned example, but it could also be trapezoidal if there are two bows, or indeed marquee shaped if there are three bows. When the opening is tensioned by one or more entire bows, the configuration of said opening can be semi-circular when it has a single bow having two ends that bear on the ground, as in document FR 2 649 744; the opening can be in the form of a Gothic arch if it has two independent bows joined together on the axis of symmetry of the opening. It can also have a semi-circular top portion and two sloping side uprights if it has a small bow that does not rest on the ground.

[0041] Taking the add-on elements described above, it may, for example, be desirable to connect both an upright door and a sunshade to the same opening of the central tent. To do this it suffices to consider that there are a plurality of add-on elements which are to be connected to the central tent at the same opening, by applying the same principle. When putting both an upright door and a sunshade in place at the same opening of the central tent, it is necessary to have two add-on elements, the first which is connected to the central tent at said opening, and the second which is connected to the first add-on element. The first and second fastener means are strictly in accordance with the principle of the present invention. The way in which the two add-on elements can be connected together is not rigidly determined, different variants can be envisaged. For example, in one variant, the element acting as a sunshade has a transverse fold on which first and second fastener means are mounted so that when the sunshade is put in place and connected to the opening of the central tent, it is possible to connect the panel forming the upright door to the transverse fold.

[0042] In any case, it is also possible to implement a link element for connecting to the central tent (like all add-on elements), the link element having the characteristic of including a plurality of folds, each being equipped with first and second fastener means so that it can enable other add-on elements to be assembled to the same opening of the central tent.

[0043] Thus, in a first variant, in order to assemble elements together, it is possible to implement a given add-on element which includes two antagonistic sets of first and second fastener means, the first of said sets being intended to connect the add-on element to the opening of the central tent, and the second set being intended to connect the element to another add-on element. In a second variant, the connection element serves merely as the interface between various add-on elements. It includes a plurality of at least three antagonistic sets of first and second fastener means, the first of said sets being intended to connect the connection element to the opening of the central tent, and the other sets of first and second fastener means being intended to be connected to other add-on elements.

[0044] The term “antagonistic” has been chosen due to the fact that the disposition (right, left) relative to the axis of symmetry of the element must comply with the above-stated configuration in order to enable the facing first and second fastener means to co-operate during assembly. Taking the example shown in FIG. 4 in which the opening of the tent if fitted on the left-hand side of the axis DD′ with a fastener without a slider and on the right-hand side with a fastener plus a slider, the add-on element, possibly a link element, which includes a plurality of antagonistic sets of first and second fastener means must thus be fitted with:

[0045] a) a first set suitable for connection to the opening of the tent, and which includes on the left-hand side of its axis of symmetry a slideway plus a slider and on the right-hand side a slideway without a slider.

[0046] b) at least a second set in which the disposition of the slideway having a slider and the slideway without a slider are reversed.

[0047] Thus on a same side of the axis of symmetry there is the first set for connection to the central tent which has a given configuration, and the second set for connecting to one or more other add-on elements which have an antagonistic disposition, i.e. reversed. In fact, the principle does not change since it has always been considered in the present text that the right and left sides were to be taken into consideration by a user looking at a part from outside that part. 

1. A modular tent constituted by: a) a central tent including a frame and a canvas stretched over said frame, said tent having at least one opening formed in a vertical plane; and b) at least one add-on element connected by fastener means to the central tent at said opening, said tent being characterized in that the opening (7, 8, 9) and the add-on element (17) have a vertical axis of symmetry (DD′), and in that the fastener means consist of first and second means (13, 19 and 14, 21) suitable for co-operating with each another, and disposed on the edge of the opening of the central tent (1) and on the corresponding edge of the add-on element (16), the fastener means being arranged on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry (DD′) so that the first means (13, 19) are on the same (right or left) side (11, 18) of the opening (8) and of the add-on element (16), while the second means (14, 21) are on the other (left or right) side (12, 20).
 2. A tent according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastener means are of the slideway type, the first means (13, 19) being a slideway without a slider and the second means (14, 21) being a slideway plus a slider (15, 22).
 3. A tent according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastener means are of the self-gripping type having loops and hooks, the first means being a strip (24) provided with hooks (25) and the second means being a strip (26) provided with loops (27).
 4. A tent according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the opening (8) of the central tent (1) is in the shape of an isosceles triangle, the top vertex (10) of said triangle being formed by the free end (4 b) of a bow.
 5. A tent according to claim 4, characterized in that the central tent (1) has a triangular base (2), with three triangular openings (7, 8, 9) and three bows (4, 5, 6), and in that each bow (4, 5, 6) tensions the canvas (3) between the top vertex (10) of one opening (8) and the adjoining bottom vertices of the other two openings (7, 9).
 6. A tent according to claim 4, characterized in that the central tent has a square base, with four triangular openings and four bows, two of larger dimension and two of smaller dimension, the two bows of larger dimension tensioning the canvas between the bottom vertices of the openings at the four corners of the square, and the bows of smaller dimension tensioning the canvas between the top vertices of opposite openings.
 7. A tent according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the add-on element or one of the add-on elements is another central tent.
 8. A tent according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it includes a covering piece fixed on the canvas, suitable for overlying the intermediate zone on either side of the axis DD′ between the first and second fastener means.
 9. A tent according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it includes an add-on element having two antagonistic sets of first and second fastener means, the first set being intended to be connected to the opening of the central tent, and the second set being intended to be connected to another add-on element.
 10. A tent according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it includes a connection element which has at least three antagonistic sets of first and second fastener means, the first set being intended to be connected to the opening of the central tent, and the other sets (in which the fastener means have an antagonistic disposition relative to the fastener means of the first set) being intended to be connected to other add-on elements. 